Change floor plan after signing construction contract

Hello everyone,

I have a question on the following topic.

My girlfriend and I want to build our own small home. We have already had several appointments with different construction companies and after a long search, we have found one. During this time, we drew a variety of floor plans and considered how our future home should look. After we created the floor plan that was suitable for us at that time and the draftsman implemented it accordingly, we then signed the corresponding construction contract. Currently, the suitable plot of land is still missing before anything can actually start. The earliest start of construction is exactly one year from now.

Several months have passed since signing the contract and slowly we are getting the feeling that we would like to redesign the floor plan once again. The decisive factor is that in the meantime we have met new people who have their own houses, and as a result, we now have new ideas on how we could make our floor plan even better and therefore more spacious.

Now the question is whether it is even possible for us to change the floor plan again after signing the construction contract? This does not just involve moving a few interior walls, but we would like to make comprehensive changes.

We would appreciate any answers and tips.

Of course you can have floor plan changes made, the construction company will be happy. But first, the plot of land, then the house will be planned on it! A construction company that already has you hooked is, in my opinion, untrustworthy. Planning a house without a plot of land is almost pointless!

There have already been quite a few mistakes!

1st rule: first the plot, then the house.

Currently, the appropriate plot is still missing before anything can even finally get started.

2nd rule: cobbler, stick to your last: playing is allowed, but you study architecture.

After we had created the suitable floor plan for us at that time

3rd rule: and then you let the professional get creative at some point—once the plot and the room program are fixed.

The draftsman implemented this accordingly,

How can a professional allow a design to be made without announcing a development plan, orientation, or shape of the building window and surroundings? That is unprofessional. He should have also put on the brakes at some point, because without arms no cookies.
That does not work out of self-interest.

The way you are currently proceeding makes no sense. Of course, you may play around with drawings and apps, but surely everything will end up in the trash, because much depends on the orientation and neighboring development. Since everything is still open here… imagine you plan the city villa, and then it wouldn’t even be allowed?!
Furthermore, you should be careful not to turn the house into a grab bag that includes all the colorful things others have, so that the house is no longer yours but only an idea pinboard.
How are you getting a plot? When can you get out of the contract?

You probably imagined the welcome here to be friendlier than with the words "are you crazy?!?!?", but you hardly give us any other choice :-(

My girlfriend and I want to build our own little home. For this we already had various appointments with different construction companies and after a long search we also found what we were looking for.

It is very unfortunate that you immediately found what you were looking for at an apparently unreliable company.

The decisive factor is that during this time we met new people who have houses themselves, and as a result there are now new ideas on how we could make our floor plan even better and thus more spacious.

And so you also met people whose houses you only noticed had more cleverly planned floor plans – but you never talked with them about the fact that the appropriate sequence of steps is different?

Without a plot, any house planning is useless!

Who organizes the plot? You yourselves or is this a contract with [Grundstücksservice]?

Ok, thanks first of all for the answers.

Correct, it is a contract with [Grundstücksservice]. So far, we have also been offered various plots of land by the construction company, which we have declined because they did not meet our expectations.

From the construction company, besides the floor plan from the exposé, we also received various other different floor plans regarding ideas of how it could be.

We would exit the contract if we have not found a suitable plot by the end of March.

What would it mean if the floor plan were to be changed again now? I assume that an appropriate surcharge for the changes would be added to the fixed house price in the contract, right?